Exchanging your driving licence in Spain

What the DGT asks for

• The DGT application form, with the fee paid
• Your original licence — Spain keeps it and returns it to the issuing authority
• Passport and NIE, with photocopies
• Your padrón certificate proving where you live
• A medical from a licensed centro de reconocimiento de conductores
• One recent passport photograph
• The DGT fee, paid before the appointment
• Confirmation of the licence’s authenticity from the issuing authority, which the DGT may request

Book the appointment first

The paperwork is straightforward and the appointment is not: DGT waits run from weeks to a couple of months in the busier provinces, and the deadline does not move to accommodate them. Book the slot, then get the medical, then gather the rest.

People who can help with this

Independently listed, experienced with international retirees, free to contact.

• Gestorium 360°

  Licensed gestoria in Barcelona — document, visa and administrative support for foreigners.

  Barcelona

  View profile →

• Imont Legal & Taxes

  Legal and tax advice for international property buyers in Spain.

  Region of Murcia

  View profile →

• MyMoveSpain

  Murcia-based relocation specialist coordinating visas, property purchase/rent and post-arrival settling-in for retirees and other international clients.

  Region of Murcia

  View profile →

Questions people ask

Can I exchange a US licence?

No. Spain has no exchange agreement with the United States, so an American resident has to pass the Spanish test — theory and practical, normally through a driving school, in Spanish or English depending on the province. Budget several months and around a thousand euros, and arrange it before your licence stops being valid rather than after.

How long can I drive on my old licence?

6 months from the day you become resident, if it is a non-EU licence. That is the day residence starts, not the day you first arrived on holiday, and it does not extend because the DGT has no appointments. Driving after it lapses is treated as driving without a licence, which is a serious offence and voids your insurance.

Does my EU licence need exchanging at all?

It stays valid and you can keep it, but as a resident you are expected to register it with the DGT after 2 years, and most people find it simpler to exchange it for a Spanish one at that point. A Spanish licence also spares you explaining a foreign document at every roadside check and every car hire desk.

Do I need a medical to exchange?

Yes — a certificate from a licensed centro de reconocimiento de conductores, which takes twenty minutes and tests sight, hearing and reaction. It is required for the exchange and again at every renewal, and Spanish licences renew more often with age: every five years from sixty-five rather than every ten.

What if my country only has a partial agreement?

Canada is the case that comes up: the arrangement runs by province rather than nationally, so the answer depends on where your licence was issued. Take the licence and the province to the DGT or a gestor before assuming either way, because the difference between the two answers is a driving test.